Lincoln POV
I moved through the forest with Eryx’s men, every step measured and deliberate. The trees were dense here, their trunks like silent sentinels, and the scent of pine and damp earth filled my senses. I sniffed the air repeatedly, trying to catch even the faintest hint of movement. The forest was alive with subtle sounds, the snap of a twig underfoot, leaves rustling in the wind, the distant call of a bird. Every sound felt amplified, every shadow seemed to twitch with hidden life.
“You head to the northwest,” I ordered, pointing to a narrow path barely visible among the thick trees. Four of the guards nodded sharply. “Yes, Gamma,” they chorused, and they disappeared down the trail, their movements quick and efficient.
“You, southwest,” I said to another group, and they went of
